Apparatus for cleaning crank cases



June 21,1927. 1,633,283

W. L. OSBORNE APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CRANK CASE Filed J y 1924 IS'Sheets-Sheet 1 June 21, 1927. 1,633,283

* w. L. OSBORNE APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CRANK CASES,

Filed J ly 5, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CRANK "CASES Filed July 3, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fifenfoz z l w fn 0550f??? I as Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES I when PAT-mi cert-es WEI-LIAM L. OSBORNE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO A. B. CHANQLEB, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AFIPABATUSfiFOB CLEANING CRANK CASES.

Application fil ed July 3,

y This invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for cleaning crank cases of motor vehicles, and refers more particularly to avery effective, and yet simple apparatus for cleaning crank cases, to eliminate all dirt and other: foreign particles which may be present therein. I

Among the many objects of my invention are to provide a simple and economicalapparatus, adapted to be usedin conjunction with the crank case of an automobile which it is desired to clean; to provide means for withdrawing the used lubricant and passing the same to storage, and means for maintainin acyclic circulation of flushing oil to an through the crank case; to provide means for filtering said flushing oil during the cyclic circulation; to provide means for forcing said flushing oil to and. through the filter to the crankcase, thus maintainingi a. suction onthe crank" case discharge, an in general to-provide improvements of the character referred to. I In the maintenance of a motor vehicle, whether truck or pleasure car, vone ofv the most vital problems confronting the .user. is the proper lubricating of the parts enclosed by the crank case, as all bearings and other'movingparts are lubricated from the oil contained in this crank case, and it is therefore essential-that this case, together with the oil contained therein, be ke t cleanv and free from dirt, grindings and 0t er foreign -material.

Various attempts have been made to place filters on motorvehicles, but for many reasons these devices have failed to operate successfully. The question has been solved by employing the usual custom of contin'u-' p ously pouring new oil into the crank case and withdrawing said-oil at irregular intervals, leaving the dirt and heavy particles that may have been-mixed with this oil the crank case. Flushing oil is then introduced into-the crank case, and the engine allowed to run, the 'su position being that the circulation and agitation will be sufiicient to extract said foreign particles from their lodgment in the crank 'case. This flushin ,oil is then drawn oif, the crankcase plugge and fresh lubricating oil is poured in, mixing with whatever. foreign particles have been left in the crankcase after the flushing operation. n O

Actual experience has indicated that 1658 1924. Serial m5. 724,088.

than one-fourth of the foreign particles are thus withdrawn from the crank case. In addition, this method is very dirty and unpleasant, and naturally is done only when absolutely necessary.

To overcome these objections and to reconstruction shown in Fig. 1;

F ig.'3 isa cross sectional view of the filtering medium taken on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is'an enlarged view showing the drawoff from the crank case.

Fig. 5 is, a sectional viewof the particular form of drip pan which it may be necessar to employ. ig. 6 is a diagrammatic elevational view llustrating a complete cyclic circulatory system including a lubricant containing case, storage tank, pump, filter, and connections between thev lubricant containing case, ump, filter andstorage tank.

Re erring in detail to the drawings, 1 designates as a whole, an enlarged cylindrical drum or tank which may be'for instance 16 inches in diameter and 30 inches in height, holding from 30 to 35 gallons more or less, as may be desired. This drum may be provided with base wheels 2 and support 3. I Mounted Lexteriorly of the chamber 1 is the bracket 4 on which is supported the ump,.;5. This umpmay be provided with inlet 6 and out et' 7, and may also be provided with the handle 8 which is adapted to the handle 11. Beyond the valve 10. is a continuation 12 of-the pipe 9. 'Below the valve 10 is the pipe 13 adapted to be connected to oscillated back and forth. The particular'and detailed construction ofthe pump the upper'portion of-the chamber 1. The

outlet end 'ofthe pi 1-2'i'sadapted to be connected to a,filter1n'g medium 14 having outlet 15., The particular construction of this filtering medium as shown in Fig. 3 comprises. a screw threaded cap 16 provided with the handle 17 The filtering medium comprises a vertical cylindrical chamber as shown. In the interior of the filter is suspended what may be termed a mesh bag ltering screen 18 provided with a solid bottom 19, wire handle 20, which latter is connected :to an annular shoulder or supporting portion 21. The annular bearing is adapted to be'supported upon the inwardly extend- }fig annular shoulder 22 formed within the ter. Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, the crank case is designated 23 provided with the outlet or discharge 24: which normally is plugged. ,7 As shown in Fig. 4C, in this discharge 24 is inserted the drawofi pipe 25 which has an extension 26 communicating with the inlet pipe 6 to the pump. Where it is desired to handle cars having crank cases of the character shown in Fig. 4, 'it is only necessary to use the mechanism shown there.

Where motor vehicles are not. equipped to connect directly to the apparatus, I provide the drip pan 27 which may be tapered inwardly in a downward direction as shown .at 28 and having the d'rawoff 25..

. The operation of the device preferably is as follows: The inlet 6 has a flexible hose connection the extremity of'whichiscorinected to e ipe 26. The used lubricantis entirely with awn from the crank case forced by means of the oscillation, of

I v the crank case through the usual inlet and may be withdrawn as explained. The valve handle 11-is then manipulated so as to close the pipe 13 and open the pipe 12, the arrangement being such that the flushing oil is adapted to pass through the pump, through the pipe 7 and pipe 9 and through the )ipe 12 into. the filter. The flushin oil ;hen passes through the wire mesh fi tering bag 18 which removes the dirt and other foreign particles therefrom, the free flushing oil passing out thro'ugh'the outlet 15,-the' side of the filter 14: being flared outwardly as shown, to assist in thc operation. It is understood of course, that the pum suction is connected to theoutlet frome crank case, and that the operator by oscillating the ump handle, pumps the oil from the cran case either into the storage or filteringgmechanismg' I y continuing .the operation of-filteri the flushing oil and returning it to the or case, then withdrawing same and subjecting it to a refiltering action, the flushing oil will continue to be circulated, cleaning not only the crank case by reason of the agitation thereof, but removing all of the en and v the the pump handle 8 into the storage-chamber 1- trained dirt and foreign substances which are then deposited in the filter; When the nect the pipe 9 with the pi e 13, thus closing the pipe 12. The pumpw-ever or handle 8" may be then operated to drain the crank case of the flushing oil which will discharge same into the storage tank or chamber 1. The plug is theninserted in the crank case, and fresh clean lubricating oil introduced thereto.

This method may be continued with a succession of motor vehicles until the oil storage chamber 1 is full, when the entire apparatus may be wheeled to a convenient location and dumped by removing the drain plug 29. vThis apparatus is inexpensive, and requires no attention from the owner.

In order that the crank case cleaner may" be attached directly to the crank case, the following may be attached to the crank case: A drain plug hole is tapped and an elbow inserted therein. Into this may be inserted the ordinary or usual plug.

It must be understood of course, that the filter mesh bag 18 may be withdrawn and cleaned by merely removing the cap 16 from the filter 1 1. v I

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated diagrammatically the connections between-the device of resent invention and a lubricant containlng case; The lubricant containing case 30,.whichis diagramatically illustrated as a crank case,- is moved toa point above the drip. pan 27 or vice versa, thedrip pan is moved under the lubricant containing case 30. Flushin liquid from the pan 27 passes through the line 31 into the intake side' of the pump, the linev 31 being connected to the inlet6,of the pump 5. Ari-adjustable con- I duit 32 is adapted to be connected to the outlet.v 15 of the filter 14, throu h which filtered, flushing liquid may be orwarded from the filter 14-. to the lubricant containing case 30. It is to be understood that the conduits 31 and 32 preferabl com rise de tachable flexible hose, as hereto ore described' i I do not wish to limit myself to the particular details of construction shown, except as outlined. in the claims.

I claim as my invention:

' 1. In a portable filling station accessory 'for cleaning lubricant cases-of motor vehi- 1 'cles, the combination with a storage receptacle, a filterin device, a connection for-conducting filtere flushing liquid from the de vice to the lubricant case, means for for warding used oil withdrawn from the lubri cant case to said storage receptacle, and

-means for cutting ofl' said forwarding means from said receptacle and connecting said means to said filtering device, said forward- *ing means being operable to maintain a cyclic circulation of a flushing liquid through the lubricant case, and through the filtering device and said connection back to the lubricant case, the cyclic cleansing circulation of the flushing liquid being maintained isolated from the used oil within the storage reeptacle.

2. A portable cleaning accessory for lubricant containers of motor vehicles, com rising, in combination, a storage recepta 'e, a filtering device, means for forwarding liquid withdrawn from the lubriant container to said filtering device, means for conducting filtered liquid from said device back to the lubricant container, and means in saidforwarding means for cutting off the passage of liquid to said filtering device and diverting the same to said storage receptacle.

3. A portable filling station accessory for cleaning lubricant containers of motor vehiin combination, a storage cles, comprising,

fi terin receptacle, a

said forwarding device and said receptacle and filtering device operable to permit connection of said forwarding device alternatively with said receptacle or said filtering device, said forwardin device having an inlet connection for con ucting either used oil or flushing oil from the crank case to said device, and said filtering device having an outlet connection for conducting filtered flushing liquid back to the lubricant container. 4

4. A portable filling station cleaning accessory for cleaning the lubricant containers of motor vehicles, ycom rising, in combination, a storage receptac e, a tering device,

device, a forwarding device, and controlla le connections betweena discharge connection for conducting filnected rom said filtering device and when disconnected to discharge into said. storage receptacle. '5. 'A portable cleaning accessory for cleaning the lubricant containers of motor vehicles, comprlsmgiin ccmbmation, a storage receptacle, a ering device, forwarding means, connections associated with said fil-' tering device and forwardingmeans whereby flushing oil withdrawn from the lubricant container is forwarded thro h said filtering device and back to the lubricant container repeatedly, and means whereby used lubricant or used'flushing liquid withdrawn from the lubricant container may be discharged into said stora e receptacle.

6. In a ortal) ing the ln ricant containers of motor vehicles, comprising, in combination, a storage receptacle, 9. filtering device havmg an out-. let connection for conducting filtered flush-' ing liquid from said device'to the lubricant container, a pump, an inlet connection to the pump for conductm thereto either used luricant or used fius g liquid withdrawn 1e cleaning device for clean- 7 from the lubricant container, a discharge connection between the pump and the filter- ;ing device, and a valve in said discharge connection operable to cut off communication with thefiltering device and open a disrece tacle.

OS GENE.-

to said stor WILLIAM charge outlet 

